WAYNE BROOKS

Wayne Brooks has served as principal violist of the Houston Symphony since 1985. Born in Los Angeles, Brooks joined the orchestra in 1977 as associate principal violist after graduating from the Curtis Institute of Music (Philadelphia). In addition to solo appearances with the Houston Symphony, he has appeared in chamber music performances with Joseph Silverstein, Lynn Harrell, Yefim Bronfman, Garrick Ohlsson and Christoph Eschenbach. He has participated in the Houston Symphony's former INNOVA series; in performances with Da Camara of Houston, Greenbriar Consortium, and the Mukuru "Arts for AIDS" Series; and in chamber music festivals in Craftsbury, Vermont and Lake City, Colorado. As violist of the Houston Symphony Chamber Players, he served on the faculty of Japan's Pacific Music Festival; toured Japan (1993-1995) and Europe (1994, 1997); recorded works of Webern and Berg; and appeared at Chicago's Ravinia Festival (1996, 1997). In 1995, Brooks gave the Houston premiere of Alfred Schnittke's Viola Concerto with Christoph Eschenbach (Houston Symphony) and in 2001, performed Frank Martin's rarely heard Ballade for Viola and Orchestra with Larry Rachleff (Shepherd School Chamber Orchestra). In February 2007, he commemorated his 30th season with the Houston Symphony, performing the world premiere of La Llorona and Tone Poem for Viola and Orchestra, a Houston Symphony commission by composer Gabriela Lena Frank. He performed it again on subscription concerts in 2016. Other solo appearances with the Symphony include Berlioz's Harold in Italy (Christoph Eschenbach) and Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante with Associate Concertmaster Eric Halen, and again with Concertmaster Frank Huang.